Photo from UNIAN
Smolii says the dialogue with the Fund is constructive.
Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Yakiv Smolii says Ukraine continues talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the results of an IMF mission's working visit to Kyiv on September 6-19.
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"The talks are continuing. There are no questions to the National Bank. We are waiting for the necessary steps, namely bringing gas tariffs to the market level, as well as resolving certain issues related to the national budget. We are optimistic," the regulator's website quoted Smolii as saying at a meeting with the heads of the country's major banks on September 25.
Summing up the visit of the IMF mission to Kyiv, the official called the dialogue with the Fund constructive.
As UNIAN reported earlier, in March 2015, the IMF approved a four-year EFF loan program for Ukraine with $17.5 billion in disbursements. Under the program, Ukraine has received only four disbursements from the Fund to the tune of $8.7 billion due to the slow implementation of the agreed reforms. The program is expiring in March 2019. However, the National Bank of Ukraine and the Finance Ministry expect to receive $1.9 billion from the IMF in 2018.
In addition to adopting anti-corruption legislation, further cooperation with the Fund requires a revision of gas prices and appropriate adjustments to balance the current year's budget.
Last week, CEO of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev said that the government had reached an agreement in principle at talks with the International Monetary Fund on a gradual increase in prices of natural gas for households to the level of import parity by April 2020. The rate of the increase is now being discussed, he added.